Disabilities don't change who people are

The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. strives to be a good corporate citizen, and usually succeeds. But it dropped the ball when it came to one of its own employees.

Nancy Krusas got a job at Hanover four decades ago, when she was 17 and the company was called State Mutual. As a veteran employee, she particularly enjoyed company gatherings outside the office: Christmas parties, summer functions, and trips to the local theaters.

In 2001, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She continued to work as the disease progressed, from the relapsing-remitting stage to a more aggressive course. Eventually, though, her symptoms became less manageable. She dragged her foot and relied on a cane. Her cognitive skills declined, and she found it difficult to negotiate her third-floor office.

In June, 12 years after her diagnosis and 40 years after joining the company, Krusas regretfully decided to leave. At 58, she's now on long-term disability.

"It was a tough decision," she said. "I enjoyed my job, and I enjoyed the people I worked with. But the MS isn't going to get any better."

One day this fall, a former co-worker called and asked if she was planning to attend the company's 25-year party for longtime employees and retirees. Krusas hadn't received an invitation, so she called the company's human resources department.

"I asked why I wasn't invited," Krusas recalled. "I was told it was only for active or retired employees."

Then, last week, she learned that the company had distributed tickets to "A Christmas Carol" at its namesake The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, to employees and retirees. Again, she called human resources. Again, she was told the same thing — she wasn't on the guest list.

"I told her it wasn't fair," Krusas said. "She agreed that it wasn't fair, either, but that was the way it was. "

Krusas' husband, Robert, said his wife gave 40 years to the company and its policy makes no sense.

"It hurts to see that Hanover won't recognize her as a former employee just because of her disability," he said. "Aren't we in the age of diversity?"

Last Thursday night, one of Krusas' former colleagues gave her two tickets to a company event at the theater, and Krusas went with a neighbor. She said she was happy to see old friends and the people she had worked with for so long.

"I may be disabled, but I'm not dead," Krusas said. "I used to go to all these events, and I miss them. Shame on Hanover. It's disappointing."

Michael Buckley, a spokesman for Hanover, agreed on Friday that Krusas should not have been omitted from the guest list.

"In retrospect, we should have accommodated Nancy's request, and we regret that we didn't," he said. "In light of this, we plan to review our procedures, and we expect changes will be made to accommodate similar requests, if any, in the future."

Buckley said that Krusas is the first employee on disability to request an invitation to a company event.

"Many of these people are facing very serious health issues," he said. "Folks in this situation don't want much, if any, contact with work. They want to focus on their health and their personal situation. It's a very trying time, and we want to give them space."

In Krusas' case, however, she was given a bit too much space.

"Not all disabled people are the same," she noted. "Some of us want to go out and go to events. I'd rather have the opportunity to say no. "